Angie McMahon, a founding member of Chemically Imbalanced Theater in Lakeview, has been coordinating a Chicago event as a local response to Saturday's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, hosted by comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

The Park District on Thursday night denied her permit request, saying in a letter to McMahon that "additional permits, documentation, etc., was not submitted or is insufficient" to approve her request.

A call to the Park District late Thursday was not returned, but in the letter the city offered instructions should she "desire to proceed with your First Amendment event."

McMahon said the rally will go forward and will have audio and visual equipment. She said Wednesday that her permit request involved an estimate of 5,000 attendees.